Bars, nightclubs to close across Turkey over coronavirus

Bars, discotheques and nightclubs across all 81 provinces of Turkey will close Monday at 10 a.m. as a precaution against the novel coronavirus, according to new measures announced by the Interior Ministry late Sunday.

The Interior Ministry sent circulars to the country's 81 provincial governorates with information and recommendations about the coronavirus, officially named COVID-19. On the recommendation of the Health Ministry, which stated that transmission of the virus increases in areas where people are in close contact, the Interior Ministry decided to temporarily shut all bars, discotheques and nightclubs to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The ministry asked provincial and district governors to coordinate with municipal authorities to ensure the implementation of these measures, including dispatching law enforcement units to prevent any problems that might occur during the implementation of the regulation.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca confirmed Turkey's sixth case of the coronavirus Saturday, after a Turkish citizen who had returned from Saudi Arabia within the past week tested positive.

The five cases previously confirmed were all family members, one of whom contracted the virus during a trip in Europe.

Koca said Saturday the government was concerned about the new cases and urged citizens to administer self-quarantine for 14 days after returning from abroad. “Having passed health screening tests does not mean you don’t carry any risks,” Koca said.

Koca said the government is working on launching a special coronavirus hotline, which will help citizens determine if they are infected with COVID-19.